[jillybean]

Dealer: West Vul: NS Scoring: IMP

♠ AKQ932 ♥ AKJ ♦ A ♣ 852

West North East South

 Pass  Pass  1♣    1♠
 2♣    Pass  Pass  ?

[Ant590]

I would have been very tempted to show my hand as a stronger overcall, either by making a SJO (but I don't know anyone who plays these any more), or doubling and then bidding spades.

Having overcalled 1♠ I now bid 3.

[ONEferBRID]

Firstly, I don't understand the 1S overcall.
This looks like a DBL .. then a cuebid hand.

I suppose you could cuebid 3C now.

[gwnn]

This one is surely enough for an initial double. Now I have no idea what i'd do but it would probably involve doubling now.

[jillybean]

Scoring: IMP

---

West North East South

 Pass  Pass  1♣    1♠
 2♣    Pass  Pass  3♠
 Pass  Pass  Pass  

Failing to play to bridge.

[pooltuna]

jillybean, on Aug 22 2009, 09:28 AM, said:

Dealer: West Vul: NS Scoring: IMP

♠ AKQ932 ♥ AKJ ♦ A ♣ 852

West North East South

 Pass  Pass  1♣    1♠
 2♣    Pass  Pass  ?

start with X not 1♠ Your rebid will probably be 3♠

[neilkaz]

I have to abstain here and ask why south, who honestly holds an opening 2♣ bid doesn't double first to show a hand (in this case, much) too good for a single o/c ?

[gwnn]

Pooltuna you do realize that you're underbidding your hand by about an ace and a queen if you just jump 3♠? If I was barred from doubling now, I'd 3♣, if I was barred from both, I'd 4♠ I think.

edit: misread, sorry

[neilkaz]

jillybean, on Aug 22 2009, 11:43 AM, said:

West  North East  South

 Pass  Pass  1♣    1♠
 2♣    Pass  Pass  3♠
 Pass  Pass  Pass  

Failing to play to bridge.

After South's inexplicable decision to just overcall 1♠ with a 21 count and a great 6 card suit and an opening 2♣ bid, it is basically not possible to catch up on values. The 3♠ jump certainly shows a great hand, but North can't expect that monster to be opposite.

I'd cue bid 3♣ as South rather than 3♠ since at least it won't be passed out. If N replies 3NT he really is likely to have only 1♣ stop, but I'll pass and hope that my ♠ run. If my ♠ don't run, perhaps ♣ split 44 and I still take 9 tricks.

If N replies 3♥ in response to my 3♣ then I know there's no ♣ stop and I have to guess to take a shot at a major suit game.

Anyhow, anything I do here is basically a guess anyhow, since PD can't expect me to have this good a hand for a simple o/c.

Honestly, I'd double first here if my ♦ace were the 2 ! That would be a good 17 hcp hand, but with the ability to bid my very fine ♠ suit at the same level over any response and being happy to have pd jump in ♥ as well since I have fine support for ♥ and if he jumps he usually has 5 of them.

EDIT.. I don't mind doubling in P/O seat here either, but I don't think X expresses my huge hand as well as 3♣ does and 3♣ gets me to 3NT when PD has a stop and basically tells PD that I don't need anything more than that to have good play for 3NT. Anyhow, it really isn't possible to catch up on values by that much when I've underbid my hand initally by at least an ace.

[Phil]

1♠? Are you serious? This is taking "don't double with a five card major" to an unhealthy extreme.

I'll pretend I doubled and LHO bid 2♣ passed back to me. I've disagreed with others on similar auctions, but for me 3♠ is forcing and thats my call.

[neilkaz]

jillybean, on Aug 22 2009, 09:28 AM, said:

Dealer: West Vul: NS Scoring: IMP

♠ AKQ932 ♥ AKJ ♦ A ♣ 852

This following basic discussion is for B/I and hopefully some of the silent majority of them here will miss fewer ice cold games.

A good rule of thumb is that when you hold about half the deck in HCP and can envision many weak hands that PD can hold that make game cold when PD is too weak to respond to a 1 bid, you must make a stronger bid as the risk of missing game by a pass out is too large when you hold about half the deck.

As we see here, responder held a quacky 4 count, yet 11 tricks were cold ! This means that South has to take stronger action than a simple 1♠ here since there are many hands responder can hold to make game trivial that he wouldn't dream of responding on. There are also near yarbs he can hold that can give you great play for game.

The given hand is easily an opening 2♣ bid. 21 HCP, 5 quick tricks, and almost certainly worth at least 9 tricks. AKq9xx often produces 6 tricks and maybe PD has the q♥ or it is onside, and if not, there is that A♦.

In the "old days" we showed a monster hand like this as overcaller by cuebidding opener's suit. Nowadays we double first and then bid our own very fine suit, often with a jump as this hand is so close to game in hand.

The problem with just overcall 1♠ here is that a pass out is too likely as there are many hands where responder can't act over 1♠ and many hands where PD isn't strong enough to act. Then when opener has a boring type of weak NT hand he will simply not reopen and you may miss game.

Another reason to plan really strong bids with this hand is that it makes finding slam easier.

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

X followed by a spade bid is clearly better than 1S, but given that partner
is a passed hand, you could also simply bid 4S.
X followed by 3S is the scientific way, but there are lots of hand, which will
give you 10 tricks, and partner wont make a move.

Just ask yourself, if partner will move with 4333 and the sole queen of hearts,
and I think you will agree, that he wont.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[Cascade]

Unless I can find out partner has extreme spade shortage I am going to bid 4♠ at some point in this auction.

1♠ seems too dangerous on this plan.

Partner with three spades and nothing gives us some play for 4♠ - spades 2=2 and a heart finesse. Three to the ten and now a stiff jack will provide us with an entry.

Basically we need so little to make 4♠ a good contract. Little enough that partner will not appreciate it is gold on any sensible auction.

For me double and bid 4♠ seems about right - although I would prefer slightly better or just longer spades.

[effervesce]

Agree with Wayne - the hand given should never stop short of game. With strong hands, X then bid. Here, I X then rebid 4♠.

[cherdanno]

I don't like double and 4♠ - I think we belong in 3N quite often (and in hearts some of the time).

[Cascade]

cherdanno, on Aug 23 2009, 05:25 PM, said:

I don't like double and 4♠ - I think we belong in 3N quite often (and in hearts some of the time).

If it goes 1♣ X 2♣ P; P

you could double a second time and then if partner bids hearts cue-bid - I am not sure that partner will treat 2♠ as forcing.

I think it will get very murky often as to whether you have the illusive 5=3 fit and even if partner bids 3NT you will not know that the spades are running or that partner has two clubs stoppers.

Nevertheless this flexible approach could work and so long as you are forcing to game with this much i think you have judged well.

[Codo]

If I had bid just 1 Spade I would bid 4 Spade know, being happy that I have a chance to bid this contract.

If I had doubled first (the obvious bid) I had jumped to 3 Spade later to show a real strong hand. Partner had no problems to raise us to game then.

[the hog]

Phil, on Aug 23 2009, 12:37 AM, said:

1♠? Are you serious? This is taking "don't double with a five card major" to an unhealthy extreme.

I'll pretend I doubled and LHO bid 2♣ passed back to me. I've disagreed with others on similar auctions, but for me 3♠ is forcing and thats my call.

Agree with Phil in all respects except one. 3S would not be forcing for me. Anyway, I would bid 4S. You need so little to make that bidding a, (for me), non forcing 3 would be trying to stop on a zac.

[bill1157]

the 1♠ overcall is ok, but now just bid 4♠. 3NT is out because of the opposing club bidding, no good way to get to 4♥ if it is right anyway.
I think the club bidding makes your likelyhood of making game much better (i.e. pd has a doubleton club or singleton).

Bill

[gwnn]

I would X and 3♠ nf, which is just a little underbid - like Arend wrote we could clearly belong to three no and it just doesn't feel right to jump to 4, I mean our spades aren't good enough.